Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Charles Richards, CVO (born 1953) has been Equerry to HM The Queen, and Deputy Master of the Household of the Royal Household since 1999. Richards was educated at Marlborough College. After attending the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst he joined the Welsh Guards, in which he served 1973–1999. Since 1999 he has been on retired pay. From 1973 to 1982 he served with the 1st Battalion of the Welsh Guards in the United Kingdom, and the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). He was seconded to the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Gurkha Rifles in Hong Kong 1982–1984.